There are numerous previous patents to operate turbines from either the rise of a tide or of an ocean wave. They all fail to develop, however, the energy conversion efficiency due to the various reason which will be discussed later. My invention captures entire waves by segmenting them into sections and converting their kinetic energy before shock absorbtion occurs. Waves for example move in and out at a rapid pace. Conversion inventions heretofore often act as jetties, neutralizing many of these forces in one manner or another and as a consequence do not develop the efficiencies as required to operate large feasible commercial hydroelectric generators. My invention also discharges the flow through the turbine in an entire outgoing wave length that is segmented, discharging the flow at the outer limits of the deenergized ocean wave. This invention makes it possible to convert the entire ocean wave at its peak kinetic force to a "river flow" affect in the penstock and race feeding the turbine and discharging the continuous flow out of the turbine in a "river flow" affect in the tail race at the lowest kinetic force thus creating the maximum head pressure differential between the race and the tail race. The amount exceeding one and one-half times the height of the ocean wave between its crest and its wave trough and providing a constant uninterrupted turbine flow. Something that has not been accomplished by any other invention of record.
The Southwick invention U.S. Pat. No. 2,820,148 funnels, by using vertical walls, numerous waves simultaneously into a narrow vertical opening that is controlled by adjusting a gate vertically. The wave water passes over the top edge of this vertically adjusted gate which also needs a continual adjustment in accordance with the ocean tidal height and in a manner for controlling the height at which wave water is admitted to the upper compartment. A second vertical gate, at the same vertical opening that is controlled by adjusting vertically comes down from the top. The gap between the top surface of the lower gate and the bottom surface of the upper gate allow the admittance of water into the reservoir. As the patent claims "the lower end of the upper gate will then skim off the upper portion of each wave as it enters the gap" thus not permitting the entrance of higher waves into the upper compartment. It too is adjusted in accordance.
In this Southwick invention, as a series of several waves are simultaneously moving into the vertical funnel walls each wave crest as it enters and strikes the walls in a continual sequencing on each side there is in turn a continuous rebound of kinetic forces which have a neutralizing affect at the outer limits for succeeding incoming waves that have not as yet reached the point of being captured in the funnel gates. Also when they finally reach the rigid vertical gate wall themselves the incoming kinetic forces strike the rigid vertical gate redirecting much of the force straight up. Some falling back seaward and some falling in the direction to be admitted between the gap of the upper and lower vertical gate opening and on into the upper reservoir for use in the turbine motor.
In the Southwick invention the water being discharged from the turbine flows into a lower compartment and is discharged between two vertical gates that swing out seaward. The water is discharged here in an opening that allows it to excape back to sea behind the funnel walls or at a point where the ocean water has now been neutralized as is behind jetties built at sea and no wave troughs exist. This greatly reduces the head pressure differentials necessary for the incoming and discharging water of the turbine and thus reduces its effectiveness. Also the two vertical gates vertically hinged to discharge by opening seaward must be long enough to accommodate both a high and low ocean tide condition. At high tide these gates must buck the seaward water pressure in opening and thereby restrict the discharge flow speed which must be timely executed.
The Van Gils invention U.S. Pat. No. 3,271,959 is a device for utilizing the energy present in rolling waves of water. The principle in this invention is primarily the construction of two rectangular long tubes laying beneath the ocean surface. One tube has a series of horizontally hinged vertical gates to except water into the tube while the second has similar gates discharging from the tube with a turbine in between each. The principle being that static pressure beneath the high wave is greater than the wave trough. The inlet tube fills at the high wave and discharges at the lower static pressure at the wave trough. This flow through water activates the turbine.
Though the tubes may be installed in a number of positions relative to the incoming waves each have drawbacks. Static water pressure at a level just a few inches below the wave trough will yield the greates differential between the wave crest and wave trough. As this level moves down the static pressures begin equallizing very rapidly. Installing the tubes deep enough to not interfere with the ocean waves and also to take into consideration the different mean ocean tidal heights much of the pressure differential is lost which in turn is a power loss. Installing the tubes at right angles to the wave looses much of the kinetic force caused by the directional movement of the waves and further when set at other angles relative to the waves either one or the other tubes, depending on installation direction, suffer from the neutralizing affect on the land side of the tube installation.
The Granath U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,447 is primarily a water-power motor operating from the principle of wave motion, trapping the water at a higher elevation, carrying a collapsable water bucket on the perifery of a water wheel and discharging it at a lower elevation. The collapsable bucket reducing the friction on the upside of the water wheel. This invention permits the wave water to move up a fixed ramp falling into a reservoir feeding the buckets. Using this principle the fixed installation would not accommodate the various ocean tidal heights. Should the installation be made to accommodate the high tidal height water would not reach the reservoir up the fixed ramp. Should it be installed to accommodate the low tidal height you are not taking full advantage of the ramp and also in that event, plus perhaps unusually high waves, there are no provisions to prevent a reverse action on the water wheel.
Granath uses another alternative that could accommodate the high tidal height but with a far greater loss in the full potential of the wave source. Here water moves part way up a fixed ramp. Above the fixed ramp are a series of horizontal gates hinged horizontal on the top side. This makes up one surface of the reservoir. Water moves up the ramp, strikes one or more horizontal gates and pushes its way on into the reservoir. As previously mentioned a wave action is fast. As the water moves up the fixed ramp and strikes the gate the motion of the gate is back and up and to move in this direction the weight on the back sides of the individual gates act on the same principle as a hydraulic shock absorber dissepating much of the available kinetic energy. Here also the wave will move upward on the vertical walls of the gate until a lower pressure gate is reached, however, by that time you have already redirected the wave motion to the vertical movement allowing the return breaker of the wave to fall in either direction. Another disadvantage of the Granath invention is being able to discharge the water from the water wheel at the lowest wave trough level. The installation breaks up and neutralizes the wave forces to a mean level position thus reducing much of the operating efficiency.
The Russell invention U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,670 is a device for extracting enery from water waves. It accomplishes this in principle by means of a high and low reservoir with vertical hinged vertical gates in one method or horizontal and horizontally hinged gates in another alternate method, both powering a turbine by the water head differential. It too has many deficiencies necessary to develop a maximum conversion efficiency necessary to develop large commercial hydro-electric power. And the invention statement also recognizes and states that the head pressure flow through the turbines between the high-level and low-level reservoirs is in the order of around one-half of the wave height at sea.
In the Russell invention one method indicates vertical gates vertically hinged on the lower level or discharge reservoir swinging out seaward and adjacent nearby vertical gates vertically hinged that swing in on a twist in the upper level reservoir, made perhaps of rubber to permit this twisting. In any event the gates would need to be sufficient in length to accommodate the difference in ocean tidal height. In a high ocean tidal period the vertical discharging gates, vertically hinged will be submerged below the wave trough and in opening will be restricted by the back up water pressure, thereby not permitting maximum discharge from the low level reservoir and the vertical inlet gates, vertically mounted, that are to open on a twist will need to be sufficient in length to accommodate both a high and low ocean tidal condition which restricts the inlet flow. Further the vertical surfaces both on and between which both the vertical inlet and vertical outlet gates are mounted will redirect much of the income wave motion causing it to be redirected vertical causing water falling seaward and other kinetic energy neutralized and absorbed.
In an alternate method in the Russell invention a series of vertical stacked horizontal gates hinged horizontal from the top and are for the purpose of admitting water to the upper reservoir are nearly identical to the Granath invention U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,447 and they have the same adverse affect as was discussed in the review of that patent. The alternate arrangement shows stacked horizontal gates, hinged horizontally from the bottom for the discharge reservoir which will discharge better than the vertically hinged discharge gates, however the gates at some points will not fully discharge the inlet waters because the gate will not be permitted to fully open and the water must escape from the ends. Further the vertical surfaces of the gates and the vertical mounting wall of the reservoir meet with the same problems of redirecting the wave energy as discussed previously. Another very decided adverse condition in the Russell invention as shown in the alternate arrangement is the vertical arranged series of vertical mounted horizontal gates and hinged horizontally at the top which serve as water inlet gates to the upper reservoir are located directly above a similar series of vertical arranged series of vertical mounted horizontal gates and hinged horizontally at the bottom which serve as water outlet gates to the lower reservoir do not effectively allow for ocean tidal height variations. While you are in the upper tidal stages you are sacrificing at the lower outlet gates and while the tidal level is at the lower levels you are sacrificing at the upper inlet gates. The combine affect is a reduced continuous operating head between the high and low level reservoirs.
Thorsheim invention U.S. Pat. No. 4,1712,689, a wave power generator operates on the principle of collecting a very short section of a wave and directing it into a rigid rectangular shaped funnel, excepting lower surface is rounded, in a manner causing the breaking of a single large wave down into a series of small waves or ripples and continuing on into a manifold and turbine generator blade. A series of these funnels are staggered at the small end to improve the unifromity of constant operation of the blades of the generator.
The unit is mounted on a member floated in water. It is very limited in the amount of energy that can be directed to apply on a turbine generator and is further restricted by the fact the mounting vessel disrups the wave form for discharging, thus limits the head differential on the imput-output flow of the turbine.
The Reynolds invention U.S. Pat. No. 988,508 is a wave power system operated from a stationary platform. The principle here is to let the back and forth movement of a wave actuate a paddle thru a small arc and having a vertical axis. This axis is connected to a crank arm which operates a piston pump. As the waves move back and forth water from an internal reservoir is pumped to a higher reservoir and from here to the turbine generator and back to the reservoir. To smooth out the response and increase the power many paddles and pumps are used. Though the turbines will turn the efficiency is something to be more fully desired.
The Igatz invention U.S. Pat. No. 933,905 is an auxiliary power system mounted on a boat or other floating vessel. In this invention water is ducted from four tubes which have inlet orfices facing the forward direction of the vessel. Two begin in the front and two on each side. Two each of these tubes are connected to separate penstocks, one inside on each side of the vessel. As the vessel moves forward the water enters the ducts and flows downhill to the penstock. At the penstock the water flows through turbines on each side exiting below and in front of the driving propellers, hopefully in the wake. Their power is derived from the forward motion of the boat and in principle allowing the water to flow on thru, into a turbine and out and utilizing this flow in operating a turbine for an auxiliary power source. Without a forward motion there would be no flow and no differential in entrance and exit pressures.
The Weills invention U.S. Pat. No. 2,871,790, is a buoy motor operated from ocean waves mounted in a ship having a turbine generator or a stationary platform. The principle here is to guide a buoy that is connected to a piston pump. The buoy moves up and down with the wave pumping water into an upper reservior where it is free to flow through a turbine and discharge into a lower self contained reservoir where it continues to recirculate. It is only the weighted buoy in its down stroke that moves the water flow to the higher elevation. The upstroke or buoy lift sucks the water from the reservoir and refills the piston cylinder. A multiple of piston pumps operated by the buoys are used to increase and to stabilize power. The systems efficiency relative to installaion and availability of wave energy is very low.